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Virology Down Under

Facts, data, info, expert opinion and a reasonable, occasionally grumpy, voice on viruses: what they are, how they tick and the illnesses they may cause.

Category: Influenza

Queensland influenza keeping it cool….

Posted onJuly 20, 2018July 20, 2018

This week’s influenza (flu) data from Queensland’s Department of Health suggest that the virus is toying with Queenslanders – and much of Australia – this season. The total number of Read More …

CategoriesInfluenzaTagsAustralia, Flu, flu season, influenza, Queensland, Queensland Health

Influenza virus haemagglutination: a sticky technique that does a lot of lifting

Posted onJuly 15, 2018July 15, 20186 Comments

Haemagglutination (hemagglutination if you’re from the US) is the sticking (-agglutination) together of red blood cells (RBCs). Haem is the iron-containing, oxygen-transporting portion of haemoglobin, a molecule found in RBCs. This laboratory Read More …

CategoriesInfluenza

Reporting flu – tell the story don’t create fear…

Posted onJune 23, 2018April 11, 20195 Comments

“Flu cases jump by 256% in just five years” screams a newspaper headline from the Daily Mercury, a paywalled News Corp publication. It sure seems like scary stuff doesn’t it? Read More …

CategoriesInfluenzaTagsalarmist, Australia, headlines, influenza, media, seasonal influe

Flu vaccination and effective communication…

Posted onJune 7, 20181 Comment

A brief article about influenza (flu) vaccination appeared in the Conversation on Tuesday night. The piece, entitled “The flu vaccine is being oversold – it’s not that effective“, states that we Read More …

CategoriesInfluenza

The forgotten benefits of the flu vaccine…

Posted onJune 6, 2018June 7, 20182 Comments

A…surprising…article about influenza (flu) vaccination appeared in the Conversation today. The piece, entitled “The flu vaccine is being oversold – it’s not that effective“, tells us that we are being given Read More …

CategoriesInfluenza

Is increased testing at the root of Australia’s biggest ever first quarter of Flu cases…?

Posted onApril 7, 2018June 11, 2019

I’ve seen some media reporting an “early start to the flu season”. Is this true? The short answer is – I don’t know. Let’s explore why I can’t answer my Read More …

CategoriesInfluenzaTagsepidemiology, Flu, influenza, notifications, seasonal influenza

Flu vaccines and children: coming free to most Australian States and Territories in 2018

Posted onMarch 4, 2018May 29, 2018

UPDATE #2. Back in October 2017, Queensland Health, Queensland Government (Australia) held a summit following on from our horrendous year of influenza.[1] One of the announcements associated with that summit Read More …

CategoriesInfluenzaTagsAustralia, influenza, seasonal influenza, vaccination

Flu numbers from the US…Peaky McPeakFace

Posted onMarch 3, 2018March 4, 2018

This year’s annual influenza (flu) H3N2 epidemic in the United States (US) has peaked. It’s been a big season in the US and the United Kingdom and in Canada, as it was Read More …

CategoriesInfluenzaTagsepidemic curve, epidemiology, Flu, H3N2, influenza, seasonal influenza, United States of America

Flu may not be peaking even if it looks like it is right now…and here’s why

Posted onFebruary 10, 2018February 17, 20257 Comments

According to the latest flu report, the United States (US) influenza (Flu) season looks like it has peaked.[1] And perhaps it has. But the graphs are only as solid as Read More …

CategoriesCommunication, InfluenzaTagsepidemiology, influenza, lag, reporting, seasonal influenza, United States of America

Where is H7N9 in 2018?

Posted onJanuary 31, 20186 Comments

I’ve been watching avian influenza A(H7N9) virus cases in humans since they popped onto the radar in 2013 (it was among my first blogs, “H7N9 deaths” [1]). So I’m confident when Read More …

CategoriesInfluenzaTagsavian influenza, China, epidemiology, H7N9

Influenza type B viruses passes the baton to type A viruses in China…

Posted onJanuary 31, 2018May 2, 2018

What starts out as an influenza (Flu) A/H3N2 season may end up being a Flu B/Yamagata season. Or vice versa. Or with different players altogether. Flu is tricksy. We see Read More …

CategoriesInfluenzaTagsChina, exchange, influenza, seasonal influenza

Second human influenza A/H7N9 case for 2017/8 season…

Posted onJanuary 17, 2018January 18, 2018

It’s been a very slow start to the H7N9 season (=spillovers from infected poultry to susceptible humans) in China. Why it’s been so slow is unclear. The Hong Kong (HK) Centre for Read More …

CategoriesH7N9, InfluenzaTagsavian influenza, China, H7N9, influenza

Influenza virus transmission: with or without symptoms, you’re dropping Flu virus

Posted onJanuary 14, 2018October 31, 202120 Comments

Influenza viruses infect our cells, but cell entry alone does not result in influenza (the disease). What happens after our cells get infected can depend on quite a few things. Read More …

CategoriesAerosols, InfluenzaTagsaerosol, airborne, droplet, droplet nuclei, Flu, influenza, influenza virus, transmission

Flu is a slippery virus, a tough vaccine target and a challenge to contain…

Posted onNovember 5, 2017February 18, 20253 Comments

Much was made of a regrettable interview earlier in the week about the Australian equivalent Flu vaccine. Some of the headlines included… Ouch. Prof. Paul Van Buynder was quoted as Read More …

CategoriesInfluenza, Vaccines & vaccinationTagsAustralia, epidemic, Flu, quadrivalent vaccine, vaccine

Flu has long been associated with death in younger adults: it is known

Posted onNovember 3, 2017May 24, 2018

A very short post just to highlight that younger adults have been linked to Flu deaths for many years. This is still far less often than occurs among the elderly Read More …

CategoriesInfluenzaTagsdeath, Flu, influenza, mortality, vaccine

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All graphics made by me are free-to-use. Please just cite the particular page, blog and me. A heads-up would be nice too but that can happen later.

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